Stretching Circularity targets elastane challenge in textile recycling
Fashion for Good has launched a new project called Stretching Circularity, bringing together brands, suppliers and research partners to address a long-standing issue in textile recycling – elastane.
Elastane is used in about 80 percent of clothing. Even in small amounts, it gives garments the stretch, comfort and fit that consumers expect. Yet it also creates a major obstacle at the end of a product’s life. The fibre is fossil-based, adds to carbon emissions, and can interfere with fibre-to-fibre recycling processes. When blended into materials such as cotton or polyester, elastane often prevents those fabrics from being recycled into new textiles. Many products end up being downcycled or discarded instead.
The new initiative focuses on finding alternatives that can deliver the same performance without disrupting circular systems.
Testing alternatives at pilot scale
The project is running two parallel workstreams.
One stream evaluates next-generation elastane made from alternative inputs, including bio-based feedstocks. These materials are being tested through pilot-scale trials and turned into demonstrator garments. Early examples include a technical T-shirt containing 10 percent elastane and a non-technical version with 2 percent.
The second stream studies regenerated elastane produced through emerging recycling technologies. Both tracks follow the same validation framework so results can be compared across performance, environmental impact, cost and scalability.
The goal is practical evidence that these materials can function in real products, not just in laboratory settings.
A value chain approach
The consortium includes partners from across the fashion ecosystem. Participating companies include Levi Strauss & Co. (through Beyond Yoga), On, Paradise Textiles, Positive Materials and Reformation, with Ralph Lauren Corporation acting as an advisor.
Supporting organisations such as Materiom and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation are contributing research, data analysis and knowledge sharing. Their role is to help the wider industry understand how alternative stretch fibres behave and what is needed for adoption at scale.
Fashion for Good says the effort is not only about proving technical feasibility. Brands must be confident that new materials meet expectations for durability, comfort and design. Without that assurance, adoption will remain limited.
By generating data through pilot production and real garments, the project aims to reduce uncertainty for manufacturers and recyclers. If successful, it could open a pathway for lower-impact stretch materials that work within circular textile systems rather than disrupting them.
